Cheese: Food Perception and Food Choice.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Consumer Behavior
• Sensory Analysis

Background:

• The 'traditional food' trend highlights the need to understand consumer choices.
• Standardized sensory evaluation is vital for food product certification, especially for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) foods.
• Consumer perception of culturally significant foods like cheese involves psychophysical and social factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the determinant factors influencing traditional food choices.
• To understand consumer perception and acceptance of specific sensory and physicochemical attributes of cheese.
• To examine the role of sensory evaluation in certifying and authenticating traditional cheese products.

Main Methods:

• Case study focusing on Évora cheese and other PDO cheeses.
• Analysis of sensory and physicochemical quality attributes.
• Evaluation of consumer perception and acceptance of cheese characteristics.

Main Results:

• Sensory and physicochemical attributes are essential for PDO designation and product authenticity.
• Consumer perception is shaped by intrinsic/extrinsic cheese characteristics and manufacturing processes.
• Familiarity with cheese attributes and verbalization of preferences are key in sensory evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Understanding consumer perception is vital for the success of traditional and PDO food products.
• Sensory evaluation methods, combined with consumer insights, are crucial for quality assurance and market acceptance.
• This research provides insights into maintaining the genuine properties and consumer appeal of traditional cheeses.